Pope Francis sets the record straight about why he pulled his hand away when throngs of people lined up this week to kiss his ring.
Pope Francis leaves at the end of his weekly general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2019.
Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said Thursday that Francis was concerned about hygiene when, after greeting dozens of well-wishers in a lengthy receiving line Monday in Loreto, he began pulling his hand away to discourage people from kissing his ring. Gisotti said Thursday he had just spoken to the pope about it, and Francis replied that it was nothing of the sort.
The tradition of kissing the ring of a bishop or pope goes back centuries, as a sign of respect and obedience.
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